Two ivory smugglers caught by the PJ in Franceville (Gabon)

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Gabon News

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Translated from French by an automated online translation service, so please excuse the roughness. See link for original. Thank you to Anne Dillon for both volunteering her time to find these French articles and doing the online

See link for photo.

The arrest of Gbadamassi and his accomplice Barou Bouraima, respectively 41 and 23 years old, has demonstrated that the Upper Ogooué is not spared the various trafficking involving rich Gabonese wildlife, including that of ivory.

This arrest is a result of a joint operation between the Forestry Commission, the PJ, the prosecutor of Franceville, and Conservation Justice, strongly committed in the fight against wildlife crime.

The incident took place on Saturday, July 9. Following information indicating the presence of elephant tusks in the city of Franceville, PJ sponsored a mission in the area of the famous Potos, in the second district. After confronting more information, agents of the PJ and Forestry, with the coordination of the Public Prosecutor, arrived at Modern Jewelry, located 15 meters from the intersection of Potos. Finally in the evening, while Gbadamassi was looking to sell his product, that OPJs mission got their hands on the man and his accomplice Barou Bouraima.

The ensuing search has revealed that Gbadamassi did have ivory at his disposal—in all, four tusks of ivory, which severed three, and three tails of elephants. He also had a sum of 1.200.000 FCFA placed close to bags of rice and cartons in which the trophies were hidden

Gbadamassi has been arrested. And with him, Barou Bouraima, an employee of the jewelry store whose role in the sales attempt of the product was important. The two men were immediately taken into custody.

http://www.gabonews.com/fr/actus/environnement/article/deux-trafiquants-d-ivoire-pris-par-la-pj-a